Arts and Entertainment

Officials have announced that Concord Mills' new Sea Life aquarium will open to the public Feb. 20. Advance tickets are available at www.VisitSeaLife.com.

Next month, Concord Mills, North Carolina’s largest tourist attraction, will have another reason to draw visitors.

Officials have announced that Sea Life Charlotte-Concord will open Feb. 20. The aquarium will cover 36,000 square-feet upon completion and give visitors a chance to get face-to-face with the underwater world. With more than 20 displays, Sea Life will house 5,000 creatures including sharks, stingrays, an octopus, seahorses, jellyfish and thousands of colorful fish.

The exhibit takes about an hour to tour and takes visitors on a journey from the fresh waters of the Catawba River in the Blue Ridge Mountains to the salt waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

Next month’s grand opening festivities begin at 10:30 a.m. with a ribbon cutting, welcome speeches and the unveiling of a custom mural painted by area children. Doors to the aquarium open to the public at noon.

Sea Life will be the 100th attraction operated by Merlin Entertainments based in Poole, England. The company also operates Legoland, Sea Life and Madame Tussauds wax museums in New York, Washington, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Atlanta, Phoenix and Minneapolis.

Sea Life attractions include:

•A 180-degree ocean tunnel that allows visitors to see sharks, rays and other fish swim right over their heads

•An interactive touchpool (touch a crab without fear of pinching!)

•Seahorses in the mangrove

•The highly intelligent Giant Pacific octopus, the largest octopus species in the world

•Educational talks and creature feedings throughout the day

•A kids' quiz trail to keep kids engaged and learning throughout the attraction

•A presentation video theatre to learn more about marine conservation

•A children's soft play area to enjoy at the end of the experience

Regular admission tickets cost $21 for adults and $17 for kids ages 12 and under. Kids ages 2 and under are free. Advanced tickets can be purchased online at VisitSeaLife.com through Feb. 19 at a discounted rate of $16 for all ages.

Sea Life has also announced plans to hire approximately 40 new team members. A job fair will be held Jan. 18-19 at Great Wolf Lodge in Concord.

Comments

price is to expensive

Posted on February 22, 2014

Will u be able to hold events like weddings?

Posted on February 6, 2014

We are looking for a working telephone number. The number on their website is not working.